There are new projects surfacing in Mt. Olive that aim to improve some of the more popular spaces in town.
New playground equipment at Flanders Park, a renovated turf soccer field at Turkey Brook Park and an expanded senior center are some of the more notable projects in the works. The projects have been discussed and approved at previous Mt. Olive Township Council Meetings.
At the Feb. 20 meeting, the council approved a resolution to purchase outdoor activity playground equipment from ESCNJ Cooperative (Ben Shaffer Recreation) with a grant not to exceed $18,525. The outdoor activity playground equipment is slated for Flanders Park.
“Flanders Park is a great location as it is near large residential and affordable housing developments, a 55+ adult community and senior living facility,” says Andrew Tatarenko, Mt. Olive Twp. business administrator.
“The project provides for intergenerational accessible and inclusive activity areas that include music, movement, outdoor games, and chess tables,” he describes.
Equipment will include an outdoor ping pong table, concrete bag toss (cornhole), ladder toss, tables with chess game inserts and a movement game and music center.
The total cost of the project is approximately $75K, shared Tatarenko. The NJ State Department of Community Affairs awarded the township a $64K Local Recreation Improvement fund. The balance will be included in the 2024 capital budget.
Tatarenko is excited about the project.
“The intergenerational activities will encourage outdoor activity, cognitive development, and social interaction,” he says.
The goal is to have the equipment installed this summer.
Replaced Turf Field
Also anticipated to be completed this summer is to replace the original turf of soccer field #4 at Turkey Brook Park in Budd Lake.
The council unanimously approved this project at its March 5 meeting after hearing much debate on the field’s replacement.
According to Tatarenko, the field was installed in 2012 and has reached the end of its useful life.
“Average turf fields last eight to ten years and ours is over 12 years old,” notes Tatarenko.
The project did entice some discussion from residents who question the need for so many turf fields in town and the cost they bear.
Tatarenko clarifies the issue regarding cost: “The township has budgeted $1 million for its replacement which will be fully funded by the Mt. Olive Soccer Club.”
He says the town will contribute “$0” for this project.
“The township will bond for the project and the Mt. Olive Soccer Club will pay back the township in accordance with a repayment schedule,” he says.
“The original turf field has a balance of $98K. The total balance of all three turf fields (not including the replacement of field #4) is approximately $900K. All of our sport associations are up to date and current on their payments.”
Budd Lake resident Irene Sergonis questions the need for turf soccer fields and at the Feb. 20 and March 5 meetings council meetings raised various concerns including cost, need, higher heat of the turf, health concerns and safety of playing on turf.
“To say the sports associations are paying for it, they are not,” says Sergonis. “The town is paying for it. With a “$98K balance remaining, now they want to remove this field and spend another $1 million to install a new one? This is not sustainable. We need something sustainable. I say you table this, put it up for referendum. I don’t think you should be spending so much money without public input.
“We keep putting in new soccer fields,” says Sergonis. “I’m not picking on soccer; I enjoy soccer, but turf fields are dangerous. We need to evaluate this.” When her kids were younger they did play soccer and this was prior to turf fields. “There’s a lot of parents that don’t want their kids playing on these fields.”
With turf fields, “you’re bringing the plastics, the synthetic materials,” says Sergonis.
She questions as to whether the runoff from these synthetic fields is contaminating the local water systems.
“We need to rally and really look at this before we put in another field that children play on; they are not professionals,” adds Sergonis. “We don’t have to have synthetic fields in order for them to play sports.”
Sergonis, who worked on getting grants for Turkey Brook Park from 1996-2003, also mentions that according to her findings kids who play on synthetic fields are 20% more at risk of injury.
“Part of the design was for playing fields, but synthetic fields are dangerous,” Sergonis mentions at the March 5 council meeting.
Some township leaders challenged Sergonis’ points.
“To say soccer fields are leaking chemicals into the water system, you are creating a lot of fear in the community that is not necessary,” says Council Member Chuck Aaron.
“It does get hot,” Aaron admits about synthetic fields. When they were grass fields, volunteers would treat the fields with chemicals in the morning of the game.
“I believe turf is the better option,” adds Aaron.
Sergonis also questions where the plastic from the soccer field will wind up.
“You’re replacing soccer #4, picking up the plastic,” she says. “EPA regulation is to dispose and recycle. It’s not going into recycling; it’s going to go into a landfill.
“Plastic stays here forever,” she adds. “Many plastics enter the cells of humans. We have to stop making plastics.”
Council President Alex Roman carries a different viewpoint.
“I disagree with your first comment saying turf field is dangerous,” says Roman. “You are citing statistics when professional athletes are using them.”
As far as runoff, Roman says most of the runoff from the fields gets captured in the retention basin.
Regarding cost, Roman says the soccer club is independently run and funded.
“We’ve taken a responsible approach, sports programs have been actively paying us back,” says Aaron at the March 5 meeting. The town does have numerous turf fields that are funded by taxpayers including those at the middle school and high school that are used for various sports.
Alicia Waldstein, Mt. Olive Soccer Club board member, then took the podium and shared the history and success of the soccer program.
“The soccer club is operating a very health program,” she says, attracting players aged 3 to 50. “We have a strong, healthy membership over 2,000 participants.”
The MOSC has handled more than 1,000 games in the spring season alone, providing for 1,900 practices for 124 teams, says Waldstein. Many players have gotten scholarships to play at the collegiate level, and one recently got drafted to play professionally for a major league soccer team.
“We are proud of our program,” continues Waldstein. “We wouldn’t be able to accommodate the demand without these turf fields. We know these fields. We are invested in this park. We love our Turkey Brook Park home.”
Roman questions Waldstein if there has been a movement to return to grass fields and her response was “no.” She adds that she does not think the turf is dangerous for kids.
Mt. Olive is “one of the most successful clubs in the state,” says resident Martin Welzmuller, a soccer dad. “Mt Olive is one of the most sought out clubs to join.” He agrees that turf may be 10 degrees higher than grass fields in this part of the country.
“I’d love to see more fields there that are turf,” adds Welzmuller “It brings up the value; it’s not a negative.”
Lisa Narcisse, a soccer mom, shares her thoughts.
Artificial turf has been around since 1960 and used to be called astro turf, recalls Narcisse.
She says turf costs less to maintain than grass fields as there is a reduction in manual labor and requires less water. New products used in the turf fields are not cancerous and are made of wood chips, she adds.
The field is not as hot as turf fields are in California, she adds. As far as injury, there are less mishaps on new turf fields vs. grass fields which can be rocky and have divots.
ECNL teams are required to use only turf fields, she adds, so in inclement weather it is safer to play on.
“We want the safest and the best,” concludes Narcisse.
Expanded Senior Center
Plans are still in the works to add onto the Mt. Olive Senior Center.
“Our architect is finalizing the bid specifications which I anticipate being ready within the next couple of months,” says Tatarenko. “We are also working through some administrative grant requirements and waiting for the Federal Government to review all of our documentation before we can proceed with the bid.
For the project, Tatarenko says there will not be any changes made to the current senior center building.
“A separate Health Center wing will be added on to the current building,” he says.
The Health Department will move into the newly constructed space upon completion. “Once construction starts on the Health Center, it will take 12-18 months before complete, so I would anticipate sometime in 2026.”
